Malcolm Report #12

Final Report 12.  Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday April 23rd, 24^th, 25th 20012

Well I start my last part- week before going home on Thursday.

We have a visit to a school that I had not been to before, but Dan had. We missed our turn to the village and arrive half an hour late. This doesn’t seem to worry people here in Ukraine. After a little visit with the two assistant directors, a man and lady, we spoke to about thirty 10 to 12 year olds, who gave good attention. We gave out candies and balloons as they had n/t’s from a previous visit. We then spoke to and older class of teen- agers who gave good attention except for 3 boys who got the giggles over something, but  managed to cool them down!!

We got back in good time and picked up Lubchek, a brother from Lviv, form the bus station who wanted to spend a few day with us in Ivano.

Tuesday.

Dan had dentist’s appointment at 9am so I stayed and ironed my shirts, where’s my wife? I cleaned up the apartment ready for the meeting tonight.

Dan came home and we took the van to get a new security alarm put on. It was to take 3 hours so we left the van and walked up town. Can you imagine a state of the art security alarm, installed for $131? They also fixed two door locks.

I needed to get money exchanged and we must have gone to 4 or 5 banks before I could get anyone to exchange the new plastic $100 Canadian bill. They said their banks were not set up to accept them yet??? By the time we had walked the town, I was worn out, (Dan can walk all day) but we met a young man who dan is hoping will interpret later on. We sat in the sun in the centre of town and had a great talk as he works for the city tourism people and gave us a good history of Ivano Frankivsk.

We got the van back and headed home for the meeting at 6pm. About 20 came out for a ‘goodbye to Malcolm” party after the meeting. They can really make you feel bad for leaving.

Wednesday

I got my things ready to leave in the afternoon and then we went to buy a blood sugar machine for a lady with diabetes who comes to the meeting. We then delivered it to her, she was very grateful for it as she has a bad case of diabetes.

After lunch we headed for Lviv as I wanted to buy some things from the Vernasaj? Bazaar.

We arrived in the middle of a violent thunder storm that went on for much of the day. People were soaked to the skin as it had been nice and sunny until the rain hit. I managed to get what I needed as we dodged under the plastic awnings, loaded with water.

We went to the prayer meeting at 7pm but several of the people are away because of sickness.

I was then deposited at Flo’s “empty” apartment to sleep and get my flight home on Thursday afternoon. Thank you for praying for us. I trust God has been able to use us to His glory. We trust that eternity will reveal it.

Please continue to pray for Dan who goes home on May 8^th and for Eric Fowler and Howard Pratt who arrive on May the 9^th.

You’re Brother in Christ.

Malcolm Report #11

Report #11 Saturday and Sunday April 21^st and 22^nd.

Saturday was a shopping day for[i] several things we needed. We visited with Oleg in the market and came back and worked on the van. The rear wiper motor was replaced some time ago but has never worked. I got into it but need a tester so could not finish the job we visited a very nice shop that installs vehicle alarms and are going to install a new alarm in the van on Monday. On the way home we were pulled over by the police, right in town. My first time, I might say. We didn’t know what we had done. He took us over to his car and showed us a card with the traffic signs and circled a “do not enter” sign. We indicated that we never saw one, as all the traffic was coming the same way. He then showed us a “busses only” sign. We showed our ignorance and repentance and he let us go. PTL

We had our meeting to practice some new hymns and about a dozen people came out and seemed to enjoy the time. We then got ready to go us to Lviv as we are staying up there tonight and heading to Lutsk on Sunday.

Sunday

On last Friday, Timothy Sloan called me from Lutsk to tell me that this Sunday was the 10^th Anniversary of the starting of the assembly in Lutsk and they would really like us to come down, especially as I was at their first Breaking of Bread meeting, and would I be prepared to speak. We thought it over and decided we would close our meeting on Sunday and go up to Lutsk for the day. We contacted Lviv assembly and they were going to Lutsk too. So we took both vehicles for the 2 hour trip to Lutsk.

The meetings were held in the almost finished main auditorium, just waiting for the carpet to be installed. A good company was present, both of those in fellowship and many visitors. After the Breaking of Bread Sergey, who was the first man to come out of his church to see an assembly formed, spoke of the starting of the assembly and then I spoke on the importance of keeping the First Love alive in the assembly, using the record of the Ephesian  church.

A fantastic lunch was provided and then Thomas Sloan Timothy’s eldest son, spoke to the large crowd of children. We then saw a power point of the history of the assembly and then a snack and away home to Ivano via Lviv; approximately 270km one way over not too bad roads.

So ended a memorable day.

Malcolm and Dan.